1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to inventory identification and control systems and more particularly to a system using inventory identity labels mounted adjacent to inventory items, the labels providing identification information relative to the inventory and wherein the labels are enabled for communication with tags on the inventory items and with a computerized inventory management system, and wherein the inventory location, quantity and status is known at any time from a remote location.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Neumark, U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,674 describes an inventory control and management method providing a combination mobile device for communication and for reading labels (R&C). The R&C reads an inventory label affixed to an item of inventory in the stores. A data file is created corresponding to the label reading and includes a time stamp taken at the time of the reading. The data file is imported into a computer data processor. A network of fixed distributed communication nodes (transceivers) is positioned over the inventory store for receiving temporal cyclic signature pulses from the R&C. At least three of the communication nodes are used to perform a triangulation for locating the R&C, and the location and the corresponding time is recorded. By comparing the time of a given reading of the label with a corresponding time of the triangulation, it is possible to determine where any item is located within the stores.
Barritz et al, U.S. 2002/0,008,621 describes a system and method which allows the identity of assets and their physical locations to be mapped and associated with one another. The invention includes a locator tool which receives an input which allows the tool to determine its own spatial location and thereby the spatial locations of various objects such as furniture, computer equipment, and structural components such as doors, windows to be identified and located and thereafter mapped in the form of architectural layout, diagrams, and the like. The invention is also an inventory system as well as a verification system that allows objects or assets to be inventoried, tracked, or verified against purchasing lists or the like.
Goodwin, III, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,215 describes a method of optimizing electronic price label (EPL) systems which employs a three-dimensional graph of retry levels in a transaction establishment. The method includes the steps of determining locations of EPLs within the transaction establishment, determining locations of transmit and receive antennas that are used by a computer to communicate with the EPLs, determining retry levels for the EPLs, mapping the retry levels to locations within the transaction establishment, producing a three-dimensional graph of the retry levels within the area of the transaction establishment, and determining, from the graph, sub areas within the area having retry levels above a predetermined maximum retry level. Once the sub areas having higher retry levels are determined, the locations of the transmit and receive antennas may be changed and/or interfering structures may be moved until the retry levels of the sub areas are below the predetermined maximum retry level.
DeTemple et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,015 describes a system for communicating between a store computer and locations in the les of a retail facility. A hard-wired grid connects the store computer to a plurality of transceivers located in zones throughout the facility and the transceivers establish a wireless link to the locations. One embodiment is a product information display system in which the locations are fixed information display terminals, such as price displaying shelf tags. Another embodiment is an item tracking system, in which the locations are movable shopping carts or baskets.
Failing, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,481 describes an improved system for space management in retail stores. The space management system includes price display labels mounted on rails along the edges of shelves in a store. A communications link between the computer and the labels permits the computer to address each label by a logical address and to determine the physical location of each label to within a resolution of typically four feet. The system prepares price audit lists and adjacency audit lists that permit economical use of the time of store personnel during the audit. The lists are generated in such a way that the items on a particular list are physically contiguous; thus once the correct general area has been located by the auditor little additional time need be spent locating the individual items. In performing an audit of product facings, the user is able to use the display hardware, including the pushbutton on each label, as a data collection system for product facing information. In product location mode, the user starts at the first label at one end of a shelf and presses the button on the first label. The user moves to the second label, presses its button, moves to the third label, and the process is repeated for each label along the shelf, and for the rest of the shelves in the area being audited. This permits the system to collect information as to the sequence of labels along a rail.
Halperin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,004 describes a product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, including a central computer storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves; a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, communicating with the central computer, storing the identification of the respective group of products, displaying information relating to the respective group of products, and reading out the identification of the respective group of products; a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system; and a record memory for each portable unit. Each portable unit includes a read-in device capable of establishing a short-range communication link with the read-out device of each electronic shelf label for reading in the product identification and for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit.
Sutherland, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,190 describes a shelf tag comprising a liquid crystal display having optical states which are stable without power and an interface that allows for each character element to be programmed easily by sweeping a programming device across the character element contacts with all power and signal requirements being supplied to the shelf tag by the programming device. The programming device can be integrated with a portable transaction computer equipped with a bar code reader or can be embodied in a stand-alone apparatus capable of receiving user input, displaying information and interfacing to the shelf tags. A method of using the shelf tags, the programming device and a radio frequency computer local area network are presented which automates many typical business applications such as inventory updating and simultaneously changing prices advertised on the shelf tags.
Brick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,342 describes an electronic pricing and display system using programmable electronic shelf tags. Programmable electronic shelf tags are used in connection with apparatus for programming the electronic shelf tags. Pricing and product information is stored in databases of a computer system for such purposes as inventory control and updating pricing information. A portable programming device is used to transmit programming data Methods are provided for fast and convenient modification of large numbers of electronic shelf tags located throughout a facility (e.g., a retail store).
Gelbman, U.S. 2001/0,020,935 A1 describes smart and dumb implementations of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The electronic label provides for displaying information in connection with a mammal, non-mammal, an item or location. The label includes a display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by said display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.
Hook et al., U.S. 2001/0,054,005 A1 describes an electronic display tag system. The system has an electronic display tag including a display for displaying at least one of pricing data and product identification data, the display having bistable character elements or bistable pixels. The display tag has a decoder logic unit for decoding received programming data and for updating the display based on the programming data, the programming data being received wirelessly. The display tag also has a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceiver for converting a power-inducing signal transmitted wirelessly to the display tag into electrical power, the electrical power used by the decoder logic unit to update the display.
Visible Tech-Knowledgy, LLC, WO 02/063602 describes smart and dumb implementation of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The flexibility of the electronic label allows the label to fit into and conform to the shape of the molding used in retail store shelving to display merchandize and warehouse shelving. The flexible, thin label includes a flexible display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.
The prior art teaches a smart electronic label employing electronic ink, a programmable shelf tagging system, a method of optimizing electronic price label systems, a remote electronic information display system for retail facilities, a space management system for retail stores, a product monitoring system, a programmable shelf tag and method for changing and updating shelf tag information, and a programmable shelf tag and method for changing and updating shelf tag information. However, the prior art does not teach a smart label with two-way radio communication capability for use in a three-space locating system. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.